The Other Side of Disabilities

The Office for Students with Disabilities
Newsletter
Division of Student Affairs

Volume VI, Issue 5 November 2005 Editor: James
Walborn

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ATTITUDES ARE THE REAL DISABILITY

The Student Government on the Boca
Campus sponsored “Disability Awareness Day” on October
20th. The philosophy of the day was “Attitudes are the Real
Disability.” The OSD personnel handed out many informative
brochures on different types of disabilities and signed up students
interested in volunteering for the office. This successful event
included two different obstacle courses designed by Student
Activities in which students were either blindfolded or placed in
wheelchairs and attempted to complete the courses. The participants
agreed that these were very difficult ways to maneuver around the
campus.

TESTING PROCEDURES

Boca Testing Facilitator Carrie Carter-Erwin, who
has been with the OSD for four years, wants to assure professors
that the OSD is not providing any special advantage to a student
with a disability, but just trying to level the playing field for
that student. “I’m here to do a service for the student
and I think that testing accommodations are a very important
service,” states Carrie.

Once a student with a disability has been
approved for testing accommodations by an OSD counselor, it is up
to the professor to determine if he/she will provide the testing
accommodations or whether he/she authorizes the OSD to administer
the exam accommodations. If the OSD is to administer the exam then
the student is required to complete sections A and B of the OSD
“Testing Accommodations Form” at least one week prior
to the test date. A copy of this form is then given to the
professor to verify the information and complete sections C and D.

Section C informs the OSD staff what items are
authorized for use with the exam (calculator, scrap paper, open
book, etc.). Included in Section C is the professor’s contact
information, as well as the length of time the class is allowed for
taking the exam. The professor should check off and sign the
appropriate statement if the student has permission to take the
exam at a time other than the rest of the class.

Section D indicates how the completed exam is to
be returned. The professor may pick up the exam, or the OSD
personnel can deliver it to the departmental office within 24
hours. On the Boca Campus the professor either drops off the exam
or emails it to osdtest@fau.edu. Please do not use inter-office
mail as the test may not arrive in a timely manner.

The Boca OSD testing rooms are monitored by
cameras and students are not allowed to leave the office once the
exam has begun (bathrooms are on premises). Cheating is not
tolerated.

Carrie may need to provide the exam in an
alternative format, such as large print or disc, and so requests
that professors provide her with the exam at least one day in
advance. She welcomes any professor to come tour the OSD testing
facilities.

OPENHOUSE

On August 30, 2005, the OSD and SGA sponsored a
“Welcome Back” for students with disabilities,
volunteers, and those who might consider volunteering in the
future. Keychains, bags of goodies, t-shirts, and 25 pizzas and
sodas were provided to over 150 students and visitors to the OSD.
This successful event encouraged many new volunteers to sign up as
notetakers.

HOMECOMING KING

Sergio Catano, a Marketing/Management major on
the Davie Campus, was elected “Homecoming King” this
past October. Sergio is very active with Student Government,
he’s Vice President for the Delta Epsilon Chi, and achieved
second place in Finance Marketing in 2004 Epsilon Chi despite the
fact that he has a Learning Disability due to a traumatic brain
injury. Sergio acknowledges, “After being elected
“Homecoming King” I feel like I belong to the school
now, that this is my home place.”

Likes: “I like to read books, watch tv, and
ride my mountain bike a lot,” Sergio states.
Any dislikes? “No, 99% of people are good to me and I
really like helping people.”

Any advice for professors? “At first some
professors may believe that I do not belong at the table, but just
give me a chance in class,” Sergio explains.
Anything unusual in your refrigerator? Sergio laughs,
“I drink a lot of orange juice. In my house you may find 10
gallons of OJ.”

ROPES COURSE

Recently eleven OSD personnel
participated in the FAU Ropes Course, which consists of four hours
of activities designed to promote the development of group problem
solving skills and encourage group cohesion. In one activity
participants were blindfolded and directed by a few co-workers on
the removal and disarmament of a “bomb.” This required
precise coordinated movements by the entire “blind”
group [Editor’s note: I believe that we “blew ourselves
up” at least once]. In the final activity participants were
encouraged to climb the rock wall. OSD Learning Specialist, Jill
Brondolo, who is visually impaired, was the one employee to climb
all the way to the top of the wall.

DID YA KNOW...

Wade Berstler (see article in the May, 2005 OSD
newsletter) earned an opportunity to participate in The Millionaire
tv show. He won $8,000. Congratulations Wade

A REQUEST OF COURTESY

My name is Carol Iaciofano. I am a student here
at the University and I am just writing to share an issue with you.
I was recently in the bathroom in the University Center and I had
to use the handicap stall, not because I want to but because I have
to. It can accommodate both myself and wheelchair. I need to use
the railings as well to hold on to.
The other day when I went in to use the bathroom there was a
lady who was applying her make up who was walking back and forth in
the stall to the sink and stepping away to get the best view in the
mirror. I said that someone in a wheelchair had to use the bathroom
and she ignored me like no one had said anything. I had to run to a
bathroom in another building. This is not an easy task. As a
courtesy I am requesting that anyone who reads this article who
doesn't need to use the handicap stall, which is larger in size to
accommodate a wheelchair, please don't tie it up. When I go to the
bathroom, I need to usually go at that split second. Thank you for
your consideration! It’s just courteous not to use that stall
because the next person who walks or wheels in the bathroom might
need it as a necessity.

ADA CHECKLIST

You may see Joshua Flapan, an FAU senior,
completing an Accessibility checklist in your area in the near
future. Joshua will be measuring the weight required to push doors,
the width of hallways, and taking other accessibility-related
measurements around the Boca campus in order to ensure that the FAU
facilities are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. “The
most important part of my job is to document that people can have
access to the University,” Joshua states.

This job is a new experience for Joshua, who has
AD/HD. “I’m being taught business protocol, how to
interact with faculty and students professionally, and learning how
to use my tools to measure doorways, hallways, offices, water
fountains, and accessible bathrooms,” Joshua explains.
“If you see me working around the Boca Raton campus then I
would appreciate your patience for letting me complete my
accessibility assessment.”

If you see someone struggling with a door on the
FAU Campus it may require too much weight to open. Interior doors
should require only up to five pounds of pressure and exterior
doors should require only up to eight pounds of pressure to push
open. Not only can you help out by assisting the individual, but
you can also help by contacting Physical Plant and reporting the
problem to them as they can adjust the door closures to the proper
closing weight. Doors that cannot be adjusted then must be able to
be opened electronically. You can contact the Physical Plant on the
Boca Campus by calling (561) 297-2240.

Other items Joshua will be noting include
external access to buildings, an uninhibited path of travel which
is at least 36" wide, and the height of door handles, accessible
water fountains, and bathroom fixtures and their clearance.

To learn more about the ADA go to the web
site at www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.php. Click the link near
the bottom of the page on Checklist for Readily Achievable
Barrier Removal for more specific information about this
interesting subject.

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We want to encourage comments and
contributions from our readers. Please address any comments to
jwalborn@fau.edu. Feel free to share this newsletter with friends
and colleagues. Current and past issues are available at
http://www.fau.edu/osd.